Knockdown shipping-crate.



G. M. WALKER.

KNOUKDOWN SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLIUATION FILED 11111.20, 190s. BENBWBD BEPT. a, 1910.

, 988,414. Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. 5 @ff 4 Y, ,9 @1.5

n an un nu [am l a b s sa .1;

G. M. WALKER. KNOOKDWN SHIPPING CRATE. APPLIGATION FILED .11.11.20, 190e. nnNBwlzD SEPT. s, 1910.

988,414. Patented 11111111911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. tion takenon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5V

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIo-E. I

GAINES M. WALKER, OF ST. LOUIIS, MISSOURI.

KNOCKDOWN SHIPPING-CRATE.

Specicationgof Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application led January 20, 1908, Serial No. 411,664. Renewed September 8, 1910. Serial No. 581,095.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it' known that I, GAINEs M. NVALKER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Shipping-Crates, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a art hereof. v

y invention relates to a knock down shipping crate, particularly adapted for use in shipping eggs and vegetables, and which crate is constructed in knock downy form in order that it will occupy a comparatively small amount of space while being transported, and which crate comprises a minimum number yof parts which are readily fitted together when assembled for use; and when set up, said crate being strong and substantial in order to withstand rough usage due to transportation and handling.

, To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be V hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the body portion of my improved crate, the same being open or in knock down form, and which view shows the inside of the body; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the body, and showing the outside of the body; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail secis a perspective View of the crate assembled and set up .for use; Fig. 6 is a detail plan View of one corner of the crate showin the fastenin devices for uniting the end and side walls o the crate; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5, and showing the fastening devices utilized for connecting the top with one of the sides of the crate; Fig. 9 1s a vertical section of one of the end walls or panels of the crate; Fig. 10 is a plan view of a portion `of the partition located at the center of the crate.

'The body of the crate comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending sections 1, of thin material, such as wood veneer, and said sections being provided with transversely disposed scores or shallow V-shaped grooves 2, at proper intervals apart, so that when said sections arebent at said scores at rlght angles to one another, a crate which is perfectly square in cross section is formed. Staples 3, of ductile material, are arranged on the outside faces of the sections 1, and said staples 3 extend across the scores 2, and the ends of said staples extending through the body of the veneer and being clamped to the inside face thereof, thus providing ductile hin s for the portions of the sections 1 separate by the scores 2.

A narrow space 4 is formed at the center of the body, which space extends longitudinally the entire length of said body, and which space receives the edges of the partition when the crate is set up.

Transversely dis osed on the outside faces of the sections 1 orming the body of the crate are reinforcing strips 5, and a pair of said strips being arranged immediately adjacent and on each side of the scores 2; and there being single strips arranged midway between sald pairs of strips. l

The members of each pair of strips 5 which are arranged opposlte andfadjacent the scores 2 are joined by ductile metallic staples 6, the ends of which are embedded in said strips, thus providing hinges for said strips when the same move with a hinging action relative one another. These strips are fastened to the' sections 1 by means of staples 7, or similar fastening devices, and both ends of all the strips are extended slightly beyond the side edges of the sections 1; and fixed to said extended ends, by means of staples 8, are longitudinally extending reinforcing strips 9, which are approximately twice the thickness of the sections 1, and these reinforcing strips 9 are provided with scores 10, which correspond with the scores 2, thus permitting the reinforcing strips 9 to readily bend with the sections 1 when the same are folded into position to form the crate.

The end walls of the crate comprise rectangular sections 11, of Wood, or analogous material, the edges being of such thickness as that they will readily fit in the spaces between the reinforcing strips 9 and the side edges of the sections 1 when the crate is set.

and which hooks project slightly beyond the side edges of said end walls, and the ends of saidl hooks being bent laterally, asdesignated' by 14; and when the crate is set up, said hooks engage in notches l5 formed 1n the corresponding reinforcing strips 5, and

thus said hooks maintain the tops of the side walls of the crate in position when said crate is set up.

The partition lfor the crate comprises a pair of veneer sections 16, and fixed thereto vand arranged between said sections are the vertically disposedrstrips 17, the ends of which'project slightly beyond the top and bottom edges of the sections 16, in order to fit between the spaces 2 between the ytop and bottom of the crate when setup.

The upper corners of this partition are providedv with hooks 18, counterparts of the hooks 13, the ends of lwhich hooks 18 engage in notches 19 formed in the reinforcing strips 5 at the topsof the side walls of the crate.

When the crate is set up for use, the` free edge of the top of saidcrate is secured to the upper edgeI of the adjacent side" wall by body and arranged transversely relative to the scores, reinforcing strips transversely disposed on the outer face of the body and extending the entire width thereof, and certain of which` reinforcing strips cover the ductile fastening devices, ductile staples uniting the pairs of strips arran ed adjacent the scores, reinforcing strips Xed to the ends of the rst mentioned reinforcing strips and spaced apart from the ends of the. sections of material forming the body of the crate, and end walls arranged at the ends of the body when the same. is set up for use,

and the edges of which end walls occu y the y knockdown shipping crate, comprs y and on each side of thev scores formed in the.` body, andductile staples uniting the pairs v of strips arranged adjacent the scores.

3. A knockdown shipping crate, comprising a body formed of a pair of sections of thin material, which sections are scored transversely on their inner faces at the pointswhere said body is bent, ductile fastening 'devices secured to the body and ex tending transversely across the scores, reinforcing strips transversely disposed on the outer ace of the body, reinforcing strips arranged adjacent and on each side of the scores formed'in the body, ductile staples uniting the pairs of strips arranged' adjacent the scores.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my.

name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses. y A GAINES M. WALKER.

Witnesses: 1 M. P. SMITH, E. L. WALLACE.

there being a pair of 

